


Stagnancy

by belgianjournalists



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Arthur is old and remembers the small things, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 11:16:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15242178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belgianjournalists/pseuds/belgianjournalists
Summary: Sometimes, you just have to look around and enjoy the small things in the world. They may be everyday things to your senses, yet they are unique in their own right.





	Stagnancy

**Author's Note:**

> I remember Hetalia being my life in ~2009-2012, then stuff happened and I haven’t touched it since – until very recently! Boy am I glad for that – the joy is more or less as big as it was back then. I was very glad about the fact that there was a lot of new material and character songs! (err, new for me. These things were released in 2013 lmao). Anyway, I’ve completely fallen in love with England’s Let’s Enjoy Today, and this oneshot is somewhat inspired by it.
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

_"Though familiarity may not breed contempt,_  
_it takes off the edge of admiration."_  
_\- William Hazlitt, Characteristics, in the manner of Rochefoucauld's Maxims, 1823_

* * *

Sometimes, you just have to look around and enjoy the small things in the world. They may be everyday things to your senses, yet they are unique in their own right.

Life feels stagnant at times, especially for a nation that has been through as much as England. He knew his land like the back of his hand and could feel every hill, every landmark, every building in his very bones. Sometimes, though rarely, he could even make out individual raindrops before the downpours began. It was all familiar and most of the time he didn’t even think about it – he filled his time with meetings and by reading books and tending to his garden instead. When inspiration struck he would take up needle and thread and start an embroidery project. But all these activities are things that Arthur has done for decades. They are hobbies he truly enjoys, and yet something has felt a bit… off lately. Like clockwork, it simply keeps going and going. Background noise.

Some days, these cogs slow down or completely stop for a while, switched out by another kind of clockwork. The world is an unruly place, and Arthur sets out to discuss, debate and argue about politics, morals, rights and ethics. Decades ago he enjoyed the liveliness and passion. Now, he wonders if humans will ever learn. Nonetheless, he appreciates the fire of his younger population and their relentlessness in wanting to change the world for the better. He just wishes they didn’t have to do same thing that their grandparents and ancestors already had gone through. But even though walks and protests are organized and are carried through, even though there’s internal turmoil between parliament and the people, even though there’s a gap between generations it all feels stagnant in a strange way. He has been through this several times, along several centuries. It’s never fun and always important – but not something that he hasn’t already been through. A small sigh escapes chapped lips as the Englishman reaches for his tea.

It’s these days that he thinks back to his past – being alert to fend off Rome, then the Anglo-Saxons, then the Christians, then the Danes (hm… even fending off people had become the norm by then). At this point it was exhilarating with kings, politics and war – all so new!

(Then came one of several plagues, which he would rather not remember, and hopes that it never ever becomes part of a clockwork, that it never becomes a thing that he would see as ‘stagnant’.)

More kings, more war – would it ever end? Oh, he was only at the 15th century. Never mind. At least there was a new church.

After that Elizabeth took the throne. Now, those were interesting times – finally, he felt internal peace while also being able to be a nuisance to Spain by being a pirate—err, privateer. Never had he felt such exhilaration as when he was free on the seven seas, wind ruffling his hair and the smell of the ocean invigorating him. Never had he been so terrified as when being on dead calm water for weeks. Rather than being refreshed by the ocean winds he instead went mad not only of boredom, but of stifling, stagnant air.

Colonialisation, industrialisation, gaining power and then losing it all – much happened over the next 300 years. And that was it. Approximately 109,572 days is a long, long time. While much happened, it happened slowly enough for every new thing to become a norm sooner or later.

In his musings, Arthur realised that he had emptied the teapot. The creaking of his joints while making his way to the kitchen only reminded him of his age and made him grumble. He really had been through too much, and yet he longed for the next wonder to grace his life.

Arthur filled the electric kettle and put it to boil. A spot of red outside his window caught his attention and he felt himself smile. The roses had started blooming. A cog in his clockwork started turning, and he welcomed this familiar feeling. Newly blooming roses always brightened his mood, no matter how many times he had seen it happen. The thought made him pause and he remembered something that he had not done in years. Shame crept upwards from deep inside his being but, well – better late than never, right?

He opened the window and let fresh air inside along with the slightly musky scent of a light drizzle, accompanied by a faint scent of freshly baked Yorskhire pudding. He closed his eyes and thought back to the beginning of his musings, how he knew every inch of his land by heart. A deep inhale and he could feel the flowers blooming along the Thames. A feeling of awe from newcomers surrounded Tower Bridge. A shift in his focus and he just knew that Hampstead was already drenched. The personified nation continued scouring his hills, landmarks and buildings, soaking it all up.

Finally, he opened his eyes and looked out at his dear, old London while the resounding clang of Big Ben could be heard in the distance. The kettle made a beeping noise at him, urging him to refill the teapot and let it steep. A smile graced his lips – the way he made his tea was the very best, after all.

Stagnancy is one word to describe the focus of his musings. Another word would be familiarity. Or you could simply call it England. All of this was his, and he wouldn’t change it for the world.

(Perhaps it was time to start on a new embroidery – Yorkshire pudding and roses. The very image of _home_.)

* * *

_"I used to think you should keep on experimenting and seeing new things._  
_But after seeing a lot of the world,_  
_I now tend to return to the same spots._  
_I enjoy the familiarity."_  
_\- Louise Nurding, My Life in Travel: Louise Redknapp, 2011_

* * *


End file.
